Day 7: Arcos de La Frontera

September 24, 2004

This was a mercifully easy day. The first half of the ride followed a lovely, generally level circuit through the white towns ringing national park: first Benelcaz, then Ubrique, then El Bosque before finally turning west for a straight, long, fast ride to Arcos, enjoying far and away the

Easiest ride of the tour so far.

Arcos de la Frontera stands atop a high, slender ridge chisled by a tight meander of the Guadalete River. We’re looking at the north face here, and the south face is just as sheer.

We arrived in Ardis at around 1:30 and spent the next half hour climbing into town and locating our La Casa Grande. It’s a spectacular place, perched on the lip overlooking a 300’ precipice. Our room has a breathtaking view of the countryside to the south. Straight below, flocks of pigeons weave patterns as they swoop to and away from their perches.

We had lunch at a sidewalk restaurant and then hid out in our room for a few hours, waiting for the 100 degeee heat to abate. At about 7 we ventured out again to wander around the neighborhood before finishing the day at a great neighborhood bar with snacks and sangria.